To assess changes in the prevalence of alcohol use among US adults from 2022 to 2024 using National Health Interview Survey data.
Approach:
Study Design: A serial cross-sectional study using National Health Interview Survey data from 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024.
Sample Size: Included 114,352 respondents: 24,965 in 2018, 30,829 in 2020, 26,806 in 2022, and 31,752 in 2024.
Definitions: Heavy drinking defined as at least 5 drinks on any day or at least 15 drinks per week for men, and at least 4 drinks on any day or at least 8 drinks per week for women.
Key Findings:
National prevalence of any alcohol use decreased by 1.24 percentage points from 2022 to 2024.
Heavy alcohol use decreased by 0.52 percentage points during the same period.
Any alcohol use declined by 3.96 percentage points among adults born from 1997 to 2012.
Heavy alcohol use declined by 1.67 percentage points among adults aged 30 to 49 years.
Increases in alcohol use were observed among those aged 50 to 64 years and Hispanic adults.
Interpretation:
Despite declines from 2022, alcohol use remained at or above prepandemic levels in 2024.
Limitations:
Alcohol consumption was self-reported and may have been underestimated.
Smaller samples reduced the precision of estimates for some racial and urban subgroups.
The survey included only nonmilitary, noninstitutionalized adults, potentially limiting representativeness.
Conclusion:
The findings indicate a national shift toward lower reported alcohol use since 2022.
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